The headteacher of a Kirklees school has slammed thieves after they stole six tonnes of Yorkshire stone slates overnight forcing it to close today.

Janet Thompson, of Hanging Heaton CE Junior & Infant school, High Street, Dewsbury, said the “sickening theft” has meant some 140 children had been deprived of a day’s education and inconvenienced many families.

Mrs Thompson who has taught at the school for seven-and-a-half-years, said she was alerted to what had happened after the school’s caretaker discovered the damage and phoned her.

She said: “Quite a substantial amount of Yorkshire stone was taken from the main building.

“Six tonnes! It’s ridiculous. You can’t begin to imagine it, really.

“It seems like they have spent the whole night taking them down.

“It just sickens me that 100 families have been inconvenienced in this way.

“Most of the roof has been taken and it means these thieves have taken the education from 140 children today.

“They may see it as a ‘faceless’ crime but it is the children who they are stealing from.”

Mrs Thompson added that the thieves seem to have ‘sussed’ out the school and knew exactly what they were doing.

“Some of the eight CCTV cameras have been turned round and on some of the wider CCTV cameras you can see them walking around like it’s their school!

“I understand some nearby houses have been targeted too by the thieves.

“But we are hoping that the school will reopen tomorrow after we get the all clear.”